The past few years in the Office of Public Relations and Communications (OPRC), we have begun the year thinking “nothing could possibly top the excitement of last year. We couldn’t possibly get any busier.” Every year we are proven wrong.
Having joined the team one year ago, I now truly know what it means to “hit the ground running.” Here’s some highlights from the past year:
Pastoral Plan
We kicked off 2013 strong with the official launch of the Pastoral Plan of the Archdiocese of Toronto taking place on February 1. The plan is designed to be a “roadmap” for our journey forward as an archdiocese over the next number of years. We’ve identified areas of need as well as existing strengths we should continue to develop. As Cardinal Collins said in his introductory letter, it “invites each Catholic in the archdiocese to reflect on our role as stewards of God's many gifts, calling us to a profound inner conversion that leads us to a spirit of generosity, most fully revealed in the sharing of time and talent with others. We live every moment in a spirit of gratitude, looking for ways to use fruitfully all that has been given to us, in the service of God and neighbour.”
We have received a great deal of useful feedback from the faithful of the archdiocese and are starting to see the fruits of this plan play out in parishes with the implementation of new programs, partnerships and planning.
Cathedral Restoration
Have you ever had scaffolding blocking your way while returning to your pew after communion? This minor inconvenience for parishioners of St. Michael’s Cathedral will lead to an exciting future for the iconic downtown church. This year, the parish has been undergoing a major and much-needed restoration. On February 4, we hosted an event celebrating the elevation of a new statue of St. Michael above the doors of the cathedral. Cardinal Collins blessed the statue and the architects and builders involved in the project were able to share some of the amazing work they have done so far. The exterior transformations are amazing on their own - and much more is happening inside. Currently, an extended choir loft with additional seating is being built and much of the interior is enveloped in scaffolding. We are thankful for your patience during this ongoing project and look forward to having a prayerful, practical and beautiful space in which to worship as a community for years to come.
Papal Resignation
We were just getting back to the usual business when Pope Benedict XVI resigned. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t get advance notice of these sorts of major announcements from Rome. On February 11, 2013, I woke up at 6 a.m. to a notification on my phone from a news app stating the pope had resigned. I thought I was dreaming. Soon after, I received a message from our Director, Neil MacCarthy with the simple words: “gonna be a big day. See you soon.” That moment was sooner than expected. I turned on the TV and he was already being interviewed on a morning show. For the next two months, our office was occupied with fielding media requests and communicating news of the conclave to media, parishes and the faithful. With Cardinal Thomas Collins as one of only three Canadians voting in the conclave, he was the subject of much media attention.
As the interview requests poured in, Cardinal Collins was extremely generous with his time. By the time the conclave was complete, he had participated in over 200 interviews, both at home and in Rome. Cardinal Collins was joined in Rome by a member of our staff to help facilitate media interviews, while other members of the OPRC team held down the ship back home in Toronto. It was a busy and exciting time for all involved.
Additionally, a number of lay people did a great job representing the Church during the papal transition. We like to joke that the papal resignation, conclave and the election of Pope Francis was essentially a two-month “infomercial” for the Catholic Church. Lots of positive publicity to be thankful for!
Since his election, Pope Francis has kept the Church on its toes, bringing a new style of communication to the papacy. The media’s interest in the current pontiff has not ceased and we regularly receive calls for comment about his words and actions. It is exciting to see so much interest in the Catholic Church and we’re happy to spread the message that we’re the same Church as we always were with a new leadership style at the helm.
Day of Confessions
Only two months into 2013, we already had three major events under our belts. Without missing a beat, we kept the level of intensity cranked to the max, dedicating the last few weeks of February to promoting the Archdiocese of Toronto’s first-ever Day of Confessions, which was held on March 6. During the Day of Confessions, we aimed to have all parishes open for part or most of the day to allow the faithful to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Easter. We learned a great deal from our first experience with this event and hosted it for a second time in Advent on December 11. Our newest OPRC team member, Kris Dmytrenko, worked hard to film and edit some remarkable video testimonies from a number of people in our archdiocese. These testimonies are available online and provide personal accounts of how God’s grace is encountered in the sacraments. We look forward to hosting the Day of Confessions again this Lenten season on April 9, 2014.
Makhoo Family Arrival
Eventually winter gave way to spring and in the midst of all the reminders of new life, one event stood out for us here at the Archdiocese of Toronto. The Makhoos, an Iraqi Christian family, began a new life in Canada after being sponsored by Cardinal Collins with the support of the chancery staff. The parents and four adult children had endured a tumultuous journey to life in Canada, waiting almost three years for their paperwork to be processed and get a flight to Toronto. Finally the long-awaited day arrived and they landed in Toronto on May 23 to a warm welcoming committee, made up of staff from the Catholic Pastoral Centre and family members the Makhoos had been separated from for many years. To read more about their arrival, see this blog post.
New Blogging Initiatives
We’re always looking for ways to keep our blog fresh and exciting. In 2013, we undertook a few interesting initiatives. The first is called Faces of Our Faith, a series of Q&As with priests, parish or chancery staff to give an inside look into the many interesting and hard-working people who help with the day-to-day work of our archdiocese. Give it a read! You may be surprised to learn about the interesting careers some of our pastors gave up to enter a life of ministry or that some chancery staff are talented athletes, musicians and parents.
When World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro rolled around in July, we enlisted the help of young people in from our archdiocese to act as contributors to our blog and tell us what was happening on the ground. Their stories were inspiring and confirmed once again that Pope Francis is making an impact on people of all ages!
Cardinal’s Dinner
On October 17, hundreds of people gathered at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the 34th Annual Cardinal’s Dinner. Among the head table guests were Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto; Andrea Horwath, Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party; Dr. Robert Howard, President and CEO of St. Michael’s Hospital; Tim Hudak, Leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party; His Excellency Colin Johnson, Anglican Archbishop of Toronto; Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga; The Honourable John Turner, former Prime Minister; and Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.
This gathering is a fundraiser that supports the work of many charities across the GTA and raises over $120,000 per year. It provides an opportunity for the Cardinal to gather with local leaders as well as the faithful of the Archdiocese to celebrate the work of the Church in our community. Click here to listen to an audio file of Cardinal Collins’ speech or click here to read the full text.
Philippines Relief
In the midst of all the planned events and projects we take on, there are also a number of situations that arise without warning. When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013, parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Toronto sprang into action, raising an impressive $2,285,953 for humanitarian relief! All donations were matched by the Canadian Government and forwarded to NASSA-Caritas Philippines, the official Catholic relief agency on the ground.
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in downtown Toronto has a significant Filipino population and made big news when Pastor Rev. Ben Ebcas opened his parish as a donation centre for goods being sent overseas. Soon Prime Minister Stephen Harper was on site, thanking the community for their work. The parish served as a meaningful location for the prime minister to make an announcement about additional funding being sent overseas by the Canadian government. For our Office of Public Relations and Communications, that equals one extremely busy day of helping facilitate media and welcoming the Prime Minister’s advance team. Thank you to the parishioners of Our Lady of Assumption for all their hard work and for hosting this significant visit!
Conclusion
As you can see, it has been yet another exciting and event-filled year. This is in no way a comprehensive list of all the excitement that took place around the Archdiocese in 2013, but rather just a few significant highlights.
I am tempted to say that nothing could possibly top a pastoral plan launch, a papal resignation, natural disasters, a visit from the Prime Minister and all the other events we experienced this year. I am tempted, but I won’t say it. Our God is a God of surprises! I can’t even begin to imagine what he has in store for 2014 in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
Marlena Loughheed is a Communications Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Toronto.